Description
Interior Japan
Oct 2025
April 2026
Explore the rugged, mountainous interior of Japan on our 9 day pickleball adventure!
Visitors are often surprised to learn that mountains occupy over 70% of Japan’s total landmass. Nagano in particular, which is the focal point of our tour, is world famous for its rugged terrain. Set foot where few travelers outside Japan venture to take in stunning landscapes, visit age-old shrines, witness hot-spring-loving monkeys, and sample regional gastronomy.
Pickleball Trips was born in Japan out of our threefold passion for travel, relationships, and pickleball. This true, insider experience perfectly balances hours of quality pickleball instruction with local play. Come see for yourself why everyone who travels with us keeps coming back!
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- 9 nights at standard accommodations
- All meals excluding 2 dinners and 1 lunch
- All activities including, tours, entrance fees, pickleball clinics, and domestic transportation via private mini-bus within Japan
EXTRAS
- Airfare to/from Haneda Int’l Airport (HND) or Narita Int’l Airport (NRT)
- Airport transportation
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Travel insurance, medical coverage, etc.
- Transportation from Matsumoto Kagetsu Hotel to onward destination
ACCOMMODATIONS
- Just 10 minutes from Narita International Airport on the free 2-way shuttle, Hotel Nikko Narita features a seasonal outdoor pool, a 24-hour convenience store and 4 dining options. All rooms come with free WiFi. The air-conditioned rooms at the Nikko Narita feature relaxing colors and light wood furnishings, including a desk. A quadruple room is available for family stays. Guestrooms are fitted with a satellite TV, a fridge and an electric kettle with green tea. The private bathroom comes with a shower, bathtub and toiletries. Guests can relax with a massage in their room, and the front desk offers currency exchange, dry cleaning and luggage storage.
FAIRFIELD by MARRIOTT TOCHIGI UTSUNOMIYA
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Our Utsunomiya hotel provides an opportunity to explore destinations outside of the popular cities in Japan. Let us be your base camp for relaxation and rest in an ideal location. Venture a little farther and find renowned restaurants serving their own gyoza dumplings. When you return to our hotel, a comfortable, spacious room awaits with free Wi-Fi and scenic views.
- CROSS is housed in a former commercial building, renovated for our purposes, resulting in a new space born from the past. While it is difficult to convert retail into accommodations, the modern space is filled with stories resonating uniqueness from each room. Additionally, Karuizawa is a beautiful town made famous by Tatsuo Hori’s classic novel. Surrounded by lush nature at an elevation of over 3000 ft, it is often referred to as a “hospital without a roof” because of the area’s rejuvenating properties, long serving as a summer resort and villa destination. Come and develop your lifelong affinity for Karuizawa.
- Do you worry about lots of things when you travel in a country with a totally different culture? The language, the food, the accessibility, the hospitality…? Let us introduce you to our warm and welcoming Inn. We are located near the Jigokudani Yaenkoen (Snow Monkey Park), with a bus stop only two minutes walking distance from the hotel. And we are only a five minute drive from the train station! We also have menus and brochures in English available. We only serve the finest food from the Shinshu area, and we will welcome you warmly and do our best to make your stay a memorable one!
- Shibu Onsen is a hot spring area reminiscent of old Japan where you can witness landscapes changing with the seasons. There are plenty of baths to enjoy, including a communal bath, outdoor bath, private outdoor bath, private indoor bath, and more.The hotel is located near Jigokudani Yaenkoen (Snow Money Park). Enjoy viewing the seasonal landscape from your room and making lasting memories on your trip.
- A Western-Style Building Filled with Traditional Matsumoto Folk Craft: Experience Mingei. This traditional folk craft borrows from the local climate and traditions to develop naturally as part of the region’s culture. In Matsumoto, countless works with no artist attribution were developed throughout the course of history. Matsumoto Hotel Kagetsu is a 130 year-old hotel where the spirit of folk craft lives on today. Relax in a place where you can be yourself, that makes you feel right at home.
| Day | Activity |
| Day 1 | ARRIVAL IN JAPAN
*Due to the time difference, travelers from North America will likely need to depart the previous day to arrive on the designated start date. |
| Day 2 | NARITA ~ TOCHIGI | PICKLEBALL CLINIC
|
| Day 3 | TOCHIGI PICKLEBALL
|
| Day 4 | TOCHIGI ~NIKKO~ KARUIZAWA
|
| Day 5 | KARUIZAWA PICKLEBALL
|
| Day 6 | KARUIZAWA ~ SHIBU ONSEN | PICKLEBALL
|
| Day 7 | SNOW MONKEYS | SOBA & WASHI-PAPER MAKING
|
| Day 8 | SHIBU ONSEN ~ MATSUMOTO | PICKLEBALL CLINIC
|
| Day 9 | NAKASENDO SAMURAI TRAIL
|
| Day 10 | DEPARTURE
*Please note that the tour ends in Matsumoto and guests are responsible for transportation to the airport or their onward destination. |
Nao Nishimura
October 1st-10th 2025
| CANCELLATION | REFUND AMOUNT |
| 91+ Days Prior to Start Date | Full Refund Minus 20% Nonrefundable Deposit* |
| 61 ~ 90 Days Prior to Start Date | 50% Refund of Total Trip Cost |
| 31 ~ 60 Days Prior to Start Date | 25% Refund of Total Trip Cost |
| 0 ~ 30 Days Prior to Start Date | None (20% Deposit Transferable) |
We strongly encourage all travelers to invest in travel insurance to both minimize your financial risks of traveling and provide you with peace of mind to fully enjoy the your trip. Travel insurance can provide many helpful resources including refunds or assistance for any of the following situations that may arise before or during a trip:
- You need to cancel your participation on the tour
- You need to cancel or change a flight
- Lost baggage during the trip
- Stolen items during the trip
- Medical costs during the trip
We suggest you talk to your insurance provider to ask about the travel insurance plans available to you. You can also compare policies online. Here are two well-known travel insurance providers to consider:
Travelex Travel Insurance
Travel Guard
You can also use InsureMyTrip.com to compare multiple companies’ plans.
